1. Information on the last battle between the Southern Song and
   the Navy of Kublai Khan in 1279. (Chris Lloyd)

Dear Chris, The first chapter of Richard L. Davis's *Wind Against the Mountain: The Crisis of Politics and Culture in Thirteenth-Century China *(1996) begins with a fairly detailed description of Yashan/Yamen, as well as a short narrative of the battle. I'll just add some extra information here. Yashan was at that time a coastal island at the mouth of the Pearl River, but it has since been absorbed into the Pearl River delta as a result of silting. It now corresponds to Gujing town, Xinhui district, Jiangmen city. "Yamen" (the Yashan gate) referred to a narrow inlet between Yashan and an adjacent island. The inlet was dry and led to a lagoon at low tide, but was connected to the sea at high tide. So the Battle of Yamen was very much a sea battle, fought as the tide rose and allowed the Yuan fleet to enter the inlet in single file (described as a "long snake"). Wen Tianxiang, who witnessed the battle as a prisoner of the Yuan, faulted Zhang Shijie for not defending the mouth of the inlet and instead chaining more than a thousand of his ships together, anchored in line abreast, inside the inlet as a static formation. For your purposes, the most relevant source would be a passage from the *Zhaozhong lu <http://www.chinaknowledge.de/Literature/Historiography/zhaozhonglu.html>*, an anonymous collection of biographies of 130 Song loyalists, quite likely written by a Song loyalist survivor under Mongol rule. I am not aware of any existing English translation and so will try translating it for you. Other members of this list are welcome to correct any errors. "The northern (i.e., Yuan) warships advanced and attacked the main [Song] army. The fighting went on until late afternoon (3:00-5:00 pm) and the sea fog was so thick on all sides that one could not see more than a short distance ahead. Rain poured down, strong winds broke out, and the tide began to recede. Zhang Shijie, Su Liuyi (the Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Command and Junior Guardian), Zhang Da (a Campaign Commander), and Su Jingzhan (a Secretary), among others, cut the anchor ropes on nineteen ships, broke through the enemy encirclement, and fled eastward, taking advantage of the wind and waves. The emperor's ship was large and heavy and anchored in the inner waters (i.e., close to the island), hemmed in by other ships, and could not move. The chief minister Lu Xiufu first threw his wife and children into the sea and then chose to die for the altars of earth and grain (i.e., for the country) together with the boy emperor. He tied the gold imperial seal to the emperor's waist and then jumped into the sea carrying the emperor, drowning them both. More than ten palace women also drowned themselves, holding on to one another's sleeves as they jumped. The two [Yuan] commanders assumed that Zhang Shijie must have taken the boy emperor when fleeing south. Li Heng led his seagoing ships in pursuit, while Zhang Hongfan stayed behind to deal with the surrendered prisoners of war. Only when they interrogated the prisoners did they realize that the emperor of the Xiangxing era (1278-1279) had drowned himself with his chief minister. They then began gathering all the captured gold and silk, forcing the officers and men to hand over all their loot to Zhang Hongfan. Before long, among the loot taken by the army they found a gold seal. Upon questioning, a soldier confessed, 'I found this on the floating corpse of a little boy. I did not know it was the imperial seal, and I was afraid that others would know what I'd found, so I abandoned the body.' What he said tallied with the information obtained from prisoners of war." 北舟進擊中軍，戰至晡，海霧四昏，咫尺不辨，風雨大作，海潮退，世傑與殿帥少保蘇劉義、都統張達、尚書蘇景瞻等十九舟斫斷碇石，乘風水之勢決圍東走。帝舟重大駐內水，為外舟壅塞不得動，丞相陸秀夫先沈妻子於水，乃奉幼主死社稷，以金璽係主腰，秀夫抱赴水死之，宮人牽衣胥溺者十數輩。二帥止謂世傑必奉幼主南奔，恆率海舟追逐，宏範留部分降，時訊降人始知祥興君相俱赴水，遂大搜金帛，拘括將士，所掠皆歸宏範，尋於軍中得金璽，訊之，卒云：於小兒浮屍上得之，不識為璽也，懼為人所知，棄其屍矣。與降人言合。 Based on this passage, the ships that escaped with Zhang Shijie would most likely have been sailing ships, since they made use of the wind, but they may also have used oars to maneuver in confined waters. Best regards, Shao-yun Shao-yun Yang (he/him/his) Associate Professor Department of History Denison University yangs@denison.edu The Way of the Barbarians: Redrawing Ethnic Boundaries in Tang and Song China <https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295746036/the-way-of-the-barbarians/> (University of Washington Press, 2019) Journeys to the West: Kitan and Jurchen Travelers in Thirteenth-Century Central Asia <https://denisongis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=e0fe47ae592c4cab8930bbb37ce41269> A Chinese Gazetteer of Foreign Lands: A New Translation of Part 1 of the Zhufan zhi (1225) <https://arcg.is/e15vm> On Wed, Jul 1, 2020 at 12:01 PM <listserv-request@mail.songyuan.org> wrote: > Send Listserv mailing list submissions to > listserv@mail.songyuan.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > > http://mail.songyuan.org/mailman/listinfo/listserv_mail.songyuan.org > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > listserv-request@mail.songyuan.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > listserv-owner@mail.songyuan.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Listserv digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Information on the last battle between the Southern Song and > the Navy of Kublai Khan in 1279. (Chris Lloyd) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2020 17:11:50 +1000 > From: Chris Lloyd <jaques1310@gmail.com> > To: listserv@mail.songyuan.org > Subject: [Song-Yuan Listserv] Information on the last battle between > the Southern Song and the Navy of Kublai Khan in 1279. > Message-ID: <8A13FC4A-AEA0-42AE-ACBC-7311D67D3DEF@gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Thank you for availing me the opportunity to access this list. > > As I previously stated in my application to join, I am, as yet, an > unpublished author, writing of the collapse of the Christian Latin Kingdom > in the Middle East circa 1291. My story includes a fictional son of Lu > Xiufu, Prime Minister to the last Song Emperor, who survives the battle of > Yamen and in his follow up life ends up a slave in the household of a > Crusader Knight and his family. > > Accounts of the battle of Yamen, often referenced as the final Kublai Khan > victory over the Southern Song are varied. Some say it was a land battle, > others that it was a sea battle off the coast of Lantau Island, or a battle > in the river Yinyu, where I assume the City Yamen currently sits One > account references the Admiral of the Song Fleet chaining the ships > together to prevent escape. The river Yinyu at Yamen is currently only > about 1 mile wide. The Song galleys, were chained together to prevent any > sailors or soldiers from escaping the battle. From what i have been able > to gather the ships would have had a beam of around 20ft. Some accounts > put the Song Navy at 1000 ships so if they were chained beam to beam, which > would not be a good battle position, the width of the naval blockade would > be approximately 5 Miles which doesn?t seem to fit with the topography of > the area mentioned in reports. Additionally some stories talk about Lu > Xiufu gathering the Emperor in his arms and jumping off a cliff into the > ocean. I have never visited the area around Yamen but my Google Maps does > not show cliffs surrounding the river Yinyu.My question is; Where did the > battle of Yamen take place? > > There are a number of Documentaries available but all in Mandarin with no > subtitles. Similarly my search in my local and Sunshine Coast University > Libraries, as well as the Queensland State Library give me little data on > the battle, referring to it sometimes as the battle of Mount Ya. > > Whilst the battle and consequences are of minor importance in my story, > and I understand major importance in the history of China, I am striving > for historical accuracy so if anyone has any information on the final > battle of the Song Dynasty I would be most appreciative. It doesn?t need > to be too definitive but what I need to know is the exact location of the > battle, the finality and location of the Emperor?s death and non-Yuan > accounts of the escaped ships, and lastly were these galleys with oarsmen, > sail and oar or just sailing ships. Thank you in anticipation. > > Yours sincerely > > > Chris Lloyd > > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > Listserv mailing list > Listserv@mail.songyuan.org > http://mail.songyuan.org/mailman/listinfo/listserv_mail.songyuan.org > > > ------------------------------ > > End of Listserv Digest, Vol 121, Issue 1 > **************************************** >

1. Information on the last battle between the Southern Song and
   the Navy of Kublai Khan in 1279. (Chris Lloyd)

Dear Shao-yun Thank you so much for your response and the time you have taken to do this translation. I will ensure acknowledgement to all who have responded to me in such a willing way. Most humbly Chris Lloyd Sent from my iPad >> On 2 Jul 2020, at 4:57 am, Shao-yun Yang <yangs@denison.edu> wrote: >  > Dear Chris, > > The first chapter of Richard L. Davis's Wind Against the Mountain: The Crisis of Politics and Culture in Thirteenth-Century China (1996) begins with a fairly detailed description of Yashan/Yamen, as well as a short narrative of the battle. I'll just add some extra information here. Yashan was at that time a coastal island at the mouth of the Pearl River, but it has since been absorbed into the Pearl River delta as a result of silting. It now corresponds to Gujing town, Xinhui district, Jiangmen city. "Yamen" (the Yashan gate) referred to a narrow inlet between Yashan and an adjacent island. The inlet was dry and led to a lagoon at low tide, but was connected to the sea at high tide. So the Battle of Yamen was very much a sea battle, fought as the tide rose and allowed the Yuan fleet to enter the inlet in single file (described as a "long snake"). Wen Tianxiang, who witnessed the battle as a prisoner of the Yuan, faulted Zhang Shijie for not defending the mouth of the inlet and instead chaining more than a thousand of his ships together, anchored in line abreast, inside the inlet as a static formation. > > For your purposes, the most relevant source would be a passage from the Zhaozhong lu, an anonymous collection of biographies of 130 Song loyalists, quite likely written by a Song loyalist survivor under Mongol rule. I am not aware of any existing English translation and so will try translating it for you. Other members of this list are welcome to correct any errors. > > "The northern (i.e., Yuan) warships advanced and attacked the main [Song] army. The fighting went on until late afternoon (3:00-5:00 pm) and the sea fog was so thick on all sides that one could not see more than a short distance ahead. Rain poured down, strong winds broke out, and the tide began to recede. Zhang Shijie, Su Liuyi (the Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Command and Junior Guardian), Zhang Da (a Campaign Commander), and Su Jingzhan (a Secretary), among others, cut the anchor ropes on nineteen ships, broke through the enemy encirclement, and fled eastward, taking advantage of the wind and waves. The emperor's ship was large and heavy and anchored in the inner waters (i.e., close to the island), hemmed in by other ships, and could not move. The chief minister Lu Xiufu first threw his wife and children into the sea and then chose to die for the altars of earth and grain (i.e., for the country) together with the boy emperor. He tied the gold imperial seal to the emperor's waist and then jumped into the sea carrying the emperor, drowning them both. More than ten palace women also drowned themselves, holding on to one another's sleeves as they jumped. The two [Yuan] commanders assumed that Zhang Shijie must have taken the boy emperor when fleeing south. Li Heng led his seagoing ships in pursuit, while Zhang Hongfan stayed behind to deal with the surrendered prisoners of war. Only when they interrogated the prisoners did they realize that the emperor of the Xiangxing era (1278-1279) had drowned himself with his chief minister. They then began gathering all the captured gold and silk, forcing the officers and men to hand over all their loot to Zhang Hongfan. Before long, among the loot taken by the army they found a gold seal. Upon questioning, a soldier confessed, 'I found this on the floating corpse of a little boy. I did not know it was the imperial seal, and I was afraid that others would know what I'd found, so I abandoned the body.' What he said tallied with the information obtained from prisoners of war." > > 北舟進擊中軍，戰至晡，海霧四昏，咫尺不辨，風雨大作，海潮退，世傑與殿帥少保蘇劉義、都統張達、尚書蘇景瞻等十九舟斫斷碇石，乘風水之勢決圍東走。帝舟重大駐內水，為外舟壅塞不得動，丞相陸秀夫先沈妻子於水，乃奉幼主死社稷，以金璽係主腰，秀夫抱赴水死之，宮人牽衣胥溺者十數輩。二帥止謂世傑必奉幼主南奔，恆率海舟追逐，宏範留部分降，時訊降人始知祥興君相俱赴水，遂大搜金帛，拘括將士，所掠皆歸宏範，尋於軍中得金璽，訊之，卒云：於小兒浮屍上得之，不識為璽也，懼為人所知，棄其屍矣。與降人言合。 > > Based on this passage, the ships that escaped with Zhang Shijie would most likely have been sailing ships, since they made use of the wind, but they may also have used oars to maneuver in confined waters. > > Best regards, > Shao-yun > > Shao-yun Yang (he/him/his) > Associate Professor > Department of History > Denison University > yangs@denison.edu > The Way of the Barbarians: Redrawing Ethnic Boundaries in Tang and Song China (University of Washington Press, 2019) > Journeys to the West: Kitan and Jurchen Travelers in Thirteenth-Century Central Asia > A Chinese Gazetteer of Foreign Lands: A New Translation of Part 1 of the Zhufan zhi (1225) > > >> On Wed, Jul 1, 2020 at 12:01 PM <listserv-request@mail.songyuan.org> wrote: >> Send Listserv mailing list submissions to >> listserv@mail.songyuan.org >> >> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit >> http://mail.songyuan.org/mailman/listinfo/listserv_mail.songyuan.org >> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to >> listserv-request@mail.songyuan.org >> >> You can reach the person managing the list at >> listserv-owner@mail.songyuan.org >> >> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific >> than "Re: Contents of Listserv digest..." >> >> >> Today's Topics: >> >> 1. Information on the last battle between the Southern Song and >> the Navy of Kublai Khan in 1279. (Chris Lloyd) >> >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> Message: 1 >> Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2020 17:11:50 +1000 >> From: Chris Lloyd <jaques1310@gmail.com> >> To: listserv@mail.songyuan.org >> Subject: [Song-Yuan Listserv] Information on the last battle between >> the Southern Song and the Navy of Kublai Khan in 1279. >> Message-ID: <8A13FC4A-AEA0-42AE-ACBC-7311D67D3DEF@gmail.com> >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 >> >> Thank you for availing me the opportunity to access this list. >> >> As I previously stated in my application to join, I am, as yet, an unpublished author, writing of the collapse of the Christian Latin Kingdom in the Middle East circa 1291. My story includes a fictional son of Lu Xiufu, Prime Minister to the last Song Emperor, who survives the battle of Yamen and in his follow up life ends up a slave in the household of a Crusader Knight and his family. >> >> Accounts of the battle of Yamen, often referenced as the final Kublai Khan victory over the Southern Song are varied. Some say it was a land battle, others that it was a sea battle off the coast of Lantau Island, or a battle in the river Yinyu, where I assume the City Yamen currently sits One account references the Admiral of the Song Fleet chaining the ships together to prevent escape. The river Yinyu at Yamen is currently only about 1 mile wide. The Song galleys, were chained together to prevent any sailors or soldiers from escaping the battle. From what i have been able to gather the ships would have had a beam of around 20ft. Some accounts put the Song Navy at 1000 ships so if they were chained beam to beam, which would not be a good battle position, the width of the naval blockade would be approximately 5 Miles which doesn?t seem to fit with the topography of the area mentioned in reports. Additionally some stories talk about Lu Xiufu gathering the Emperor in his arms and jumping off a cliff into the ocean. I have never visited the area around Yamen but my Google Maps does not show cliffs surrounding the river Yinyu.My question is; Where did the battle of Yamen take place? >> >> There are a number of Documentaries available but all in Mandarin with no subtitles. Similarly my search in my local and Sunshine Coast University Libraries, as well as the Queensland State Library give me little data on the battle, referring to it sometimes as the battle of Mount Ya. >> >> Whilst the battle and consequences are of minor importance in my story, and I understand major importance in the history of China, I am striving for historical accuracy so if anyone has any information on the final battle of the Song Dynasty I would be most appreciative. It doesn?t need to be too definitive but what I need to know is the exact location of the battle, the finality and location of the Emperor?s death and non-Yuan accounts of the escaped ships, and lastly were these galleys with oarsmen, sail and oar or just sailing ships. Thank you in anticipation. >> >> Yours sincerely >> >> >> Chris Lloyd >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> >> Subject: Digest Footer >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Listserv mailing list >> Listserv@mail.songyuan.org >> http://mail.songyuan.org/mailman/listinfo/listserv_mail.songyuan.org >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> >> End of Listserv Digest, Vol 121, Issue 1 >> **************************************** > _______________________________________________ > Listserv mailing list > Listserv@mail.songyuan.org > http://mail.songyuan.org/mailman/listinfo/listserv_mail.songyuan.org

Dear Chris, Professor Paul Buell also has a substantial article on this topic which you may find helpful. I have also attached his short cv, should any of his other articles be of use. "The Sung Resistance Movement, 1276-1279: The End of an Era," Annals of the Chinese Historical Society of the Pacific Northwest, III (1985-6), 138-186. I wish you the best of luck with your story! Sincerely, Tracy -- Tracy Miller Associate Professor, History of Art and Asian Studies Vanderbilt University President, Song, Yuan, and Conquest Dynasty Studies From: Listserv <listserv-bounces@mail.songyuan.org> on behalf of Chris Lloyd <jaques1310@gmail.com> Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 8:33 PM To: Shao-yun Yang <yangs@denison.edu> Cc: "listserv@mail.songyuan.org" <listserv@mail.songyuan.org> Subject: Re: [Song-Yuan Listserv] Listserv Digest, Vol 121, Issue 1 Dear Shao-yun Thank you so much for your response and the time you have taken to do this translation. I will ensure acknowledgement to all who have responded to me in such a willing way. Most humbly Chris Lloyd Sent from my iPad On 2 Jul 2020, at 4:57 am, Shao-yun Yang <yangs@denison.edu> wrote: Dear Chris, The first chapter of Richard L. Davis's Wind Against the Mountain: The Crisis of Politics and Culture in Thirteenth-Century China (1996) begins with a fairly detailed description of Yashan/Yamen, as well as a short narrative of the battle. I'll just add some extra information here. Yashan was at that time a coastal island at the mouth of the Pearl River, but it has since been absorbed into the Pearl River delta as a result of silting. It now corresponds to Gujing town, Xinhui district, Jiangmen city. "Yamen" (the Yashan gate) referred to a narrow inlet between Yashan and an adjacent island. The inlet was dry and led to a lagoon at low tide, but was connected to the sea at high tide. So the Battle of Yamen was very much a sea battle, fought as the tide rose and allowed the Yuan fleet to enter the inlet in single file (described as a "long snake"). Wen Tianxiang, who witnessed the battle as a prisoner of the Yuan, faulted Zhang Shijie for not defending the mouth of the inlet and instead chaining more than a thousand of his ships together, anchored in line abreast, inside the inlet as a static formation. For your purposes, the most relevant source would be a passage from the Zhaozhong lu<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chinaknowledge.de%2FLiterature%2FHistoriography%2Fzhaozhonglu.html&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40Vanderbilt.Edu%7C0a4d9c665e714ad62e4708d81e27faf3%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637292504354703447&sdata=%2Fk2ah7EGi0g%2BmPtJEqFupiPaLUbUDZI1IjneN89M838%3D&reserved=0>, an anonymous collection of biographies of 130 Song loyalists, quite likely written by a Song loyalist survivor under Mongol rule. I am not aware of any existing English translation and so will try translating it for you. Other members of this list are welcome to correct any errors. "The northern (i.e., Yuan) warships advanced and attacked the main [Song] army. The fighting went on until late afternoon (3:00-5:00 pm) and the sea fog was so thick on all sides that one could not see more than a short distance ahead. Rain poured down, strong winds broke out, and the tide began to recede. Zhang Shijie, Su Liuyi (the Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Command and Junior Guardian), Zhang Da (a Campaign Commander), and Su Jingzhan (a Secretary), among others, cut the anchor ropes on nineteen ships, broke through the enemy encirclement, and fled eastward, taking advantage of the wind and waves. The emperor's ship was large and heavy and anchored in the inner waters (i.e., close to the island), hemmed in by other ships, and could not move. The chief minister Lu Xiufu first threw his wife and children into the sea and then chose to die for the altars of earth and grain (i.e., for the country) together with the boy emperor. He tied the gold imperial seal to the emperor's waist and then jumped into the sea carrying the emperor, drowning them both. More than ten palace women also drowned themselves, holding on to one another's sleeves as they jumped. The two [Yuan] commanders assumed that Zhang Shijie must have taken the boy emperor when fleeing south. Li Heng led his seagoing ships in pursuit, while Zhang Hongfan stayed behind to deal with the surrendered prisoners of war. Only when they interrogated the prisoners did they realize that the emperor of the Xiangxing era (1278-1279) had drowned himself with his chief minister. They then began gathering all the captured gold and silk, forcing the officers and men to hand over all their loot to Zhang Hongfan. Before long, among the loot taken by the army they found a gold seal. Upon questioning, a soldier confessed, 'I found this on the floating corpse of a little boy. I did not know it was the imperial seal, and I was afraid that others would know what I'd found, so I abandoned the body.' What he said tallied with the information obtained from prisoners of war." 北舟進擊中軍，戰至晡，海霧四昏，咫尺不辨，風雨大作，海潮退，世傑與殿帥少保蘇劉義、都統張達、尚書蘇景瞻等十九舟斫斷碇石，乘風水之勢決圍東走。帝舟重大駐內水，為外舟壅塞不得動，丞相陸秀夫先沈妻子於水，乃奉幼主死社稷，以金璽係主腰，秀夫抱赴水死之，宮人牽衣胥溺者十數輩。二帥止謂世傑必奉幼主南奔，恆率海舟追逐，宏範留部分降，時訊降人始知祥興君相俱赴水，遂大搜金帛，拘括將士，所掠皆歸宏範，尋於軍中得金璽，訊之，卒云：於小兒浮屍上得之，不識為璽也，懼為人所知，棄其屍矣。與降人言合。 Based on this passage, the ships that escaped with Zhang Shijie would most likely have been sailing ships, since they made use of the wind, but they may also have used oars to maneuver in confined waters. Best regards, Shao-yun Shao-yun Yang (he/him/his) Associate Professor Department of History Denison University yangs@denison.edu<mailto:yangs@denison.edu> The Way of the Barbarians: Redrawing Ethnic Boundaries in Tang and Song China<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fuwapress.uw.edu%2Fbook%2F9780295746036%2Fthe-way-of-the-barbarians%2F&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40Vanderbilt.Edu%7C0a4d9c665e714ad62e4708d81e27faf3%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637292504354703447&sdata=2UVbQ%2BbRfRCR4ZuhaxyUBm2lpwnyIfZUBZjjuLWsYYc%3D&reserved=0> (University of Washington Press, 2019) Journeys to the West: Kitan and Jurchen Travelers in Thirteenth-Century Central Asia<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdenisongis.maps.arcgis.com%2Fapps%2FMapJournal%2Findex.html%3Fappid%3De0fe47ae592c4cab8930bbb37ce41269&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40Vanderbilt.Edu%7C0a4d9c665e714ad62e4708d81e27faf3%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637292504354713449&sdata=Wl2mVVpcP0Q9g7tva5Ttfb%2ByN4u1i06FrCoH8mhuRUM%3D&reserved=0> A Chinese Gazetteer of Foreign Lands: A New Translation of Part 1 of the Zhufan zhi (1225)<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Farcg.is%2Fe15vm&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40Vanderbilt.Edu%7C0a4d9c665e714ad62e4708d81e27faf3%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637292504354713449&sdata=9ZCspptsSh1hZmMTS91%2F2GM8CIQhFXxa%2FqDg4SuoKww%3D&reserved=0> On Wed, Jul 1, 2020 at 12:01 PM <listserv-request@mail.songyuan.org<mailto:listserv-request@mail.songyuan.org>> wrote: Send Listserv mailing list submissions to listserv@mail.songyuan.org<mailto:listserv@mail.songyuan.org> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://mail.songyuan.org/mailman/listinfo/listserv_mail.songyuan.org<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.songyuan.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Flistserv_mail.songyuan.org&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40Vanderbilt.Edu%7C0a4d9c665e714ad62e4708d81e27faf3%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637292504354723445&sdata=SwAMSRKnFq3XDO8jz4tiJrSU1SjtUlWcZJvDYOj2JEw%3D&reserved=0> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to listserv-request@mail.songyuan.org<mailto:listserv-request@mail.songyuan.org> You can reach the person managing the list at listserv-owner@mail.songyuan.org<mailto:listserv-owner@mail.songyuan.org> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Listserv digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Information on the last battle between the Southern Song and the Navy of Kublai Khan in 1279. (Chris Lloyd) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2020 17:11:50 +1000 From: Chris Lloyd <jaques1310@gmail.com<mailto:jaques1310@gmail.com>> To: listserv@mail.songyuan.org<mailto:listserv@mail.songyuan.org> Subject: [Song-Yuan Listserv] Information on the last battle between the Southern Song and the Navy of Kublai Khan in 1279. Message-ID: <8A13FC4A-AEA0-42AE-ACBC-7311D67D3DEF@gmail.com<mailto:8A13FC4A-AEA0-42AE-ACBC-7311D67D3DEF@gmail.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Thank you for availing me the opportunity to access this list. As I previously stated in my application to join, I am, as yet, an unpublished author, writing of the collapse of the Christian Latin Kingdom in the Middle East circa 1291. My story includes a fictional son of Lu Xiufu, Prime Minister to the last Song Emperor, who survives the battle of Yamen and in his follow up life ends up a slave in the household of a Crusader Knight and his family. Accounts of the battle of Yamen, often referenced as the final Kublai Khan victory over the Southern Song are varied. Some say it was a land battle, others that it was a sea battle off the coast of Lantau Island, or a battle in the river Yinyu, where I assume the City Yamen currently sits One account references the Admiral of the Song Fleet chaining the ships together to prevent escape. The river Yinyu at Yamen is currently only about 1 mile wide. The Song galleys, were chained together to prevent any sailors or soldiers from escaping the battle. From what i have been able to gather the ships would have had a beam of around 20ft. Some accounts put the Song Navy at 1000 ships so if they were chained beam to beam, which would not be a good battle position, the width of the naval blockade would be approximately 5 Miles which doesn?t seem to fit with the topography of the area mentioned in reports. Additionally some stories talk about Lu Xiufu gathering the Emperor in his arms and jumping off a cliff into the ocean. I have never visited the area around Yamen but my Google Maps does not show cliffs surrounding the river Yinyu.My question is; Where did the battle of Yamen take place? There are a number of Documentaries available but all in Mandarin with no subtitles. Similarly my search in my local and Sunshine Coast University Libraries, as well as the Queensland State Library give me little data on the battle, referring to it sometimes as the battle of Mount Ya. Whilst the battle and consequences are of minor importance in my story, and I understand major importance in the history of China, I am striving for historical accuracy so if anyone has any information on the final battle of the Song Dynasty I would be most appreciative. It doesn?t need to be too definitive but what I need to know is the exact location of the battle, the finality and location of the Emperor?s death and non-Yuan accounts of the escaped ships, and lastly were these galleys with oarsmen, sail and oar or just sailing ships. Thank you in anticipation. Yours sincerely Chris Lloyd ------------------------------ Subject: Digest Footer _______________________________________________ Listserv mailing list Listserv@mail.songyuan.org<mailto:Listserv@mail.songyuan.org> http://mail.songyuan.org/mailman/listinfo/listserv_mail.songyuan.org<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.songyuan.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Flistserv_mail.songyuan.org&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40Vanderbilt.Edu%7C0a4d9c665e714ad62e4708d81e27faf3%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637292504354723445&sdata=SwAMSRKnFq3XDO8jz4tiJrSU1SjtUlWcZJvDYOj2JEw%3D&reserved=0> ------------------------------ End of Listserv Digest, Vol 121, Issue 1 **************************************** _______________________________________________ Listserv mailing list Listserv@mail.songyuan.org http://mail.songyuan.org/mailman/listinfo/listserv_mail.songyuan.org

1. Information on the last battle between the Southern Song and
   the Navy of Kublai Khan in 1279. (Chris Lloyd)

On Wed, Jul 1, 2020 at 7:02 PM Miller, Tracy G < tracy.g.miller@vanderbilt.edu> wrote: > Dear Chris, > > > > Professor Paul Buell also has a substantial article on this topic which > you may find helpful. I have also attached his short cv, should any of his > other articles be of use. > > > > "The Sung Resistance Movement, 1276-1279: The End of an Era," *Annals of > the Chinese Historical Society of the Pacific Northwest*, III (1985-6), > 138-186. > > > > I wish you the best of luck with your story! > > > > Sincerely, > > Tracy > > > > > > -- > > Tracy Miller > > Associate Professor, History of Art and Asian Studies > > Vanderbilt University > > President, Song, Yuan, and Conquest Dynasty Studies > > > > > > *From: *Listserv <listserv-bounces@mail.songyuan.org> on behalf of Chris > Lloyd <jaques1310@gmail.com> > *Date: *Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 8:33 PM > *To: *Shao-yun Yang <yangs@denison.edu> > *Cc: *"listserv@mail.songyuan.org" <listserv@mail.songyuan.org> > *Subject: *Re: [Song-Yuan Listserv] Listserv Digest, Vol 121, Issue 1 > > > > Dear Shao-yun > > > > Thank you so much for your response and the time you have taken to do this > translation. I will ensure acknowledgement to all who have responded to me > in such a willing way. > > > > Most humbly > > > > Chris Lloyd > > Sent from my iPad > > > > On 2 Jul 2020, at 4:57 am, Shao-yun Yang <yangs@denison.edu> wrote: > > Dear Chris, > > > > The first chapter of Richard L. Davis's *Wind Against the Mountain: The > Crisis of Politics and Culture in Thirteenth-Century China *(1996) begins > with a fairly detailed description of Yashan/Yamen, as well as a short > narrative of the battle. I'll just add some extra information here. Yashan > was at that time a coastal island at the mouth of the Pearl River, but it > has since been absorbed into the Pearl River delta as a result of silting. > It now corresponds to Gujing town, Xinhui district, Jiangmen city. "Yamen" > (the Yashan gate) referred to a narrow inlet between Yashan and an adjacent > island. The inlet was dry and led to a lagoon at low tide, but was > connected to the sea at high tide. So the Battle of Yamen was very much a > sea battle, fought as the tide rose and allowed the Yuan fleet to enter the > inlet in single file (described as a "long snake"). Wen Tianxiang, who > witnessed the battle as a prisoner of the Yuan, faulted Zhang Shijie for > not defending the mouth of the inlet and instead chaining more than a > thousand of his ships together, anchored in line abreast, inside the inlet > as a static formation. > > > > For your purposes, the most relevant source would be a passage from the *Zhaozhong > lu > <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chinaknowledge.de%2FLiterature%2FHistoriography%2Fzhaozhonglu.html&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40Vanderbilt.Edu%7C0a4d9c665e714ad62e4708d81e27faf3%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637292504354703447&sdata=%2Fk2ah7EGi0g%2BmPtJEqFupiPaLUbUDZI1IjneN89M838%3D&reserved=0>*, > an anonymous collection of biographies of 130 Song loyalists, quite likely > written by a Song loyalist survivor under Mongol rule. I am not aware of > any existing English translation and so will try translating it for you. > Other members of this list are welcome to correct any errors. > > > > "The northern (i.e., Yuan) warships advanced and attacked the main [Song] > army. The fighting went on until late afternoon (3:00-5:00 pm) and the sea > fog was so thick on all sides that one could not see more than a short > distance ahead. Rain poured down, strong winds broke out, and the tide > began to recede. Zhang Shijie, Su Liuyi (the Commander-in-Chief of the > Palace Command and Junior Guardian), Zhang Da (a Campaign Commander), and > Su Jingzhan (a Secretary), among others, cut the anchor ropes on nineteen > ships, broke through the enemy encirclement, and fled eastward, taking > advantage of the wind and waves. The emperor's ship was large and heavy and > anchored in the inner waters (i.e., close to the island), hemmed in by > other ships, and could not move. The chief minister Lu Xiufu first threw > his wife and children into the sea and then chose to die for the altars of > earth and grain (i.e., for the country) together with the boy emperor. He > tied the gold imperial seal to the emperor's waist and then jumped into the > sea carrying the emperor, drowning them both. More than ten palace women > also drowned themselves, holding on to one another's sleeves as they > jumped. The two [Yuan] commanders assumed that Zhang Shijie must have taken > the boy emperor when fleeing south. Li Heng led his seagoing ships in > pursuit, while Zhang Hongfan stayed behind to deal with the surrendered > prisoners of war. Only when they interrogated the prisoners did they > realize that the emperor of the Xiangxing era (1278-1279) had drowned > himself with his chief minister. They then began gathering all the captured > gold and silk, forcing the officers and men to hand over all their loot to > Zhang Hongfan. Before long, among the loot taken by the army they found a > gold seal. Upon questioning, a soldier confessed, 'I found this on the > floating corpse of a little boy. I did not know it was the imperial seal, > and I was afraid that others would know what I'd found, so I abandoned the > body.' What he said tallied with the information obtained from prisoners of > war." > > > > 北舟進擊中軍，戰至晡，海霧四昏，咫尺不辨，風雨大作，海潮退，世傑與殿帥少保蘇劉義、都統張達、尚 > 書蘇景瞻等十九舟斫斷碇石，乘風水之勢決圍東走。帝舟重大駐內水，為 > 外舟壅塞不得動，丞相陸秀夫先沈妻子於水，乃奉幼主死社稷，以金璽係主腰，秀夫抱赴水死之，宮人牽衣胥溺者十數輩。二帥止謂世傑必奉幼主南奔，恆率海舟追逐，宏範留部分降，時訊降人始知祥興君相俱赴水，遂大搜金帛，拘括將士，所掠皆歸宏範，尋於軍中得金璽，訊之，卒云：於小兒浮屍上得之，不識 > 為璽也，懼為人所知，棄其屍矣。與降人言合。 > > > > Based on this passage, the ships that escaped with Zhang Shijie would most > likely have been sailing ships, since they made use of the wind, but they > may also have used oars to maneuver in confined waters. > > > > Best regards, > > Shao-yun > > > Shao-yun Yang (he/him/his) > Associate Professor > Department of History > > Denison University > > yangs@denison.edu > > The Way of the Barbarians: Redrawing Ethnic Boundaries in Tang and Song > China > <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fuwapress.uw.edu%2Fbook%2F9780295746036%2Fthe-way-of-the-barbarians%2F&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40Vanderbilt.Edu%7C0a4d9c665e714ad62e4708d81e27faf3%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637292504354703447&sdata=2UVbQ%2BbRfRCR4ZuhaxyUBm2lpwnyIfZUBZjjuLWsYYc%3D&reserved=0> > (University of Washington Press, 2019) > > Journeys to the West: Kitan and Jurchen Travelers in Thirteenth-Century > Central Asia > <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdenisongis.maps.arcgis.com%2Fapps%2FMapJournal%2Findex.html%3Fappid%3De0fe47ae592c4cab8930bbb37ce41269&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40Vanderbilt.Edu%7C0a4d9c665e714ad62e4708d81e27faf3%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637292504354713449&sdata=Wl2mVVpcP0Q9g7tva5Ttfb%2ByN4u1i06FrCoH8mhuRUM%3D&reserved=0> > > A Chinese Gazetteer of Foreign Lands: A New Translation of Part 1 of the > Zhufan zhi (1225) > <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Farcg.is%2Fe15vm&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40Vanderbilt.Edu%7C0a4d9c665e714ad62e4708d81e27faf3%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637292504354713449&sdata=9ZCspptsSh1hZmMTS91%2F2GM8CIQhFXxa%2FqDg4SuoKww%3D&reserved=0> > > > > > > On Wed, Jul 1, 2020 at 12:01 PM <listserv-request@mail.songyuan.org> > wrote: > > Send Listserv mailing list submissions to > listserv@mail.songyuan.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > > http://mail.songyuan.org/mailman/listinfo/listserv_mail.songyuan.org > <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.songyuan.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Flistserv_mail.songyuan.org&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40Vanderbilt.Edu%7C0a4d9c665e714ad62e4708d81e27faf3%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637292504354723445&sdata=SwAMSRKnFq3XDO8jz4tiJrSU1SjtUlWcZJvDYOj2JEw%3D&reserved=0> > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > listserv-request@mail.songyuan.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > listserv-owner@mail.songyuan.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Listserv digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Information on the last battle between the Southern Song and > the Navy of Kublai Khan in 1279. (Chris Lloyd) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2020 17:11:50 +1000 > From: Chris Lloyd <jaques1310@gmail.com> > To: listserv@mail.songyuan.org > Subject: [Song-Yuan Listserv] Information on the last battle between > the Southern Song and the Navy of Kublai Khan in 1279. > Message-ID: <8A13FC4A-AEA0-42AE-ACBC-7311D67D3DEF@gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Thank you for availing me the opportunity to access this list. > > As I previously stated in my application to join, I am, as yet, an > unpublished author, writing of the collapse of the Christian Latin Kingdom > in the Middle East circa 1291. My story includes a fictional son of Lu > Xiufu, Prime Minister to the last Song Emperor, who survives the battle of > Yamen and in his follow up life ends up a slave in the household of a > Crusader Knight and his family. > > Accounts of the battle of Yamen, often referenced as the final Kublai Khan > victory over the Southern Song are varied. Some say it was a land battle, > others that it was a sea battle off the coast of Lantau Island, or a battle > in the river Yinyu, where I assume the City Yamen currently sits One > account references the Admiral of the Song Fleet chaining the ships > together to prevent escape. The river Yinyu at Yamen is currently only > about 1 mile wide. The Song galleys, were chained together to prevent any > sailors or soldiers from escaping the battle. From what i have been able > to gather the ships would have had a beam of around 20ft. Some accounts > put the Song Navy at 1000 ships so if they were chained beam to beam, which > would not be a good battle position, the width of the naval blockade would > be approximately 5 Miles which doesn?t seem to fit with the topography of > the area mentioned in reports. Additionally some stories talk about Lu > Xiufu gathering the Emperor in his arms and jumping off a cliff into the > ocean. I have never visited the area around Yamen but my Google Maps does > not show cliffs surrounding the river Yinyu.My question is; Where did the > battle of Yamen take place? > > There are a number of Documentaries available but all in Mandarin with no > subtitles. Similarly my search in my local and Sunshine Coast University > Libraries, as well as the Queensland State Library give me little data on > the battle, referring to it sometimes as the battle of Mount Ya. > > Whilst the battle and consequences are of minor importance in my story, > and I understand major importance in the history of China, I am striving > for historical accuracy so if anyone has any information on the final > battle of the Song Dynasty I would be most appreciative. It doesn?t need > to be too definitive but what I need to know is the exact location of the > battle, the finality and location of the Emperor?s death and non-Yuan > accounts of the escaped ships, and lastly were these galleys with oarsmen, > sail and oar or just sailing ships. Thank you in anticipation. > > Yours sincerely > > > Chris Lloyd > > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > Listserv mailing list > Listserv@mail.songyuan.org > http://mail.songyuan.org/mailman/listinfo/listserv_mail.songyuan.org > <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.songyuan.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Flistserv_mail.songyuan.org&data=02%7C01%7Ctracy.g.miller%40Vanderbilt.Edu%7C0a4d9c665e714ad62e4708d81e27faf3%7Cba5a7f39e3be4ab3b45067fa80faecad%7C0%7C0%7C637292504354723445&sdata=SwAMSRKnFq3XDO8jz4tiJrSU1SjtUlWcZJvDYOj2JEw%3D&reserved=0> > > > ------------------------------ > > End of Listserv Digest, Vol 121, Issue 1 > **************************************** > > _______________________________________________ > Listserv mailing list > Listserv@mail.songyuan.org > http://mail.songyuan.org/mailman/listinfo/listserv_mail.songyuan.org > >